In the Palm of Her Hand
by coolbyrne
Summary: "Z" is for "Zip". Nikki does a little bit of palm reading.


A/N: For an alphabet challenge ages ago. "Z" is for "Zip".

They didn't speak a word of the meeting on the way home, instead choosing to speak of tasks that needed to be done before the weekend was over, and ideas for supper. As they entered their home, Nikki kicked off her shoes and took the newspaper into living room.

"You fancy a cuppa?" Helen asked as she made her way to the kitchen.

"That would be lovely," Nikki agreed.

Time leisurely carried on until the kettle whistled, and a few moments later, Helen walked into the living room, with a brief stop in the doorway to allow herself a long look at the dark haired Nikki who pored over the paper spread out across the coffee table. Smiling, she carried the two mugs to the sofa; however, rather than taking her place beside the brunette, she squeezed between Nikki's legs and the table and sat directly on the paper.

"Hey, I was reading that!"

Ignoring the complaint, Helen handed one cup to Nikki and asked, "So, what did she say?"

Nikki dropped her gaze down to the hot liquid and softly blew a cool breath. "You know I don't believe in any of that." When Helen continued to look at her, she sighed. "Nothing."

"What do you mean, nothing?"

Nikki's mouth twitched in amusement though she didn't look up. "Nothing. Zip. Zero. Rien-"

"Yes, I'm quite aware of the definition," Helen playfully retorted. "You were in there for over thirty minutes. She must have said something."

Taking a sip of the tea before responding, Nikki smirked, "I think she just wanted an excuse to hold my hand for a half hour."

Helen snorted but conceded the point. "Yeah, it didn't take a psychic to see she was sweet on you."

Leaning forward, Nikki lightly kissed Helen's lips. "Well, it shouldn't take a psychic to see my future's otherwise engaged with someone else."

"This answer pleases me," the Scot declared, and both women laughed.

"All right, so tell me, Miss Stewart, what does your future hold for you?"

Now it was Helen's turn to cover a smile with her cup. "She told me there would be a magnetic dark haired woman in my future."

"Eh?" Nikki frowned, displeased.

Shrugging, Helen replied. "I just took it to mean you'd be around in the future, continuing to hold me in thrall as you're wont to do." This seemed to appease the other woman, though the furrow of her brow remained. Helen leaned forward and returned Nikki's kiss. "Besides, you just finished telling me you don't believe in any of that."

"Yeah, well, one can never be too careful. Anything else?"

"She told me I'd gone through some difficult times in my professional life, but that things were looking better. My love life was sketchy in the early days, but now it's strong and unbroken, signifying a long relationship."

Nikki couldn't help but roll her eyes. "I could have come up with that!" she protested. "And for less than 15 quid!"

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really." Putting down her cup, she took Helen's hand between her own and turned it over, palm up. She traced lines across the Scot's soft skin, as if divining information through her fingertip. "You work hard, but it's mentally, not physically, demanding. Yet you find time to take care of yourself, or you have someone who takes care of you." At the raised eyebrow of Helen, Nikki shrugged. "Soft skin. No calluses. Nice manicure."

Helen hummed her approval. "Go on."

With the thumb of her holding hand placed surreptitiously over the pulse point at Helen's wrist, Nikki looked off to the side, finding an answer written in the air. "You have a strong heart, Miss Stewart," she told the woman, "but mind your cholesterol."

"You just made that up," Helen laughed.

"Of course I did," the brunette admitted. "That's the trick though, innit? Be generic enough that you don't have to be entirely correct, but make it something people will identify with. Work. Love life. Health."

"Hmmmm," Helen pondered. She looked down at their hands. "See anything else in there, oh cynic mystic?"

An amused grin tickled the corners of Nikki's mouth. Covering it with a feigned expression of seriousness, she brought Helen's hand closer and peered into the tiny lines of the Scot's palm. "You have an unusually full mount of Venus." Helen couldn't help but snicker and Nikki looked up and rolled her eyes. "It's the base of your thumb, you perv. It signifies great compassion and empathy."

A small gasp replaced Helen's laughter when Nikki gently bit into the soft flesh. "That… that had better not been part of your session," Helen managed to stammer. When Nikki's soft chuckle vibrated through her palm, Helen didn't bother disguising her moan.

"The mount of Jupiter at the base of your index finger represents good fortune," Nikki continued, placing her lips at the identified spot. With care, she sucked the tender skin between her teeth, before moving on to the next finger. "Saturn, indicating restrictions in your life. Apollo, representing self-expression and intelligence. Ending with Mercury, who represents communication and the ability to sustain relationships."

She kissed away the small red welts she had left on Helen's palm before looking up. The Scot's mouth was open slightly and there was a flush to her cheeks. With her eyes transfixed on Helen's lips, Nikki breathed, "You want to shag?"

The words drew Helen's eyes down to Nikki's mouth and she sighed, "God, you are psychic."

She stood up and pulled at Nikki's hands. The tall woman followed the wordless command, and in between the small space given by the table and sofa, leaned her body into Helen's.

"Maybe it's the perfume the psychic gave me," Nikki suggested. Seeing Helen's head tilt in question, she winked. "Love Potion #9 ½ Weeks."

Helen groaned at the pun. "Or maybe your planets are just in the right alignment." Walking towards the bedroom, she said, "Come on, Mystic Nikki- you can read my body language next."

-end


End file.
